Winding machine



Sept. 29, 1942. H. w. HITCHCOCK 2,

' WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l p 1942. H. W. HITCHCOCK 2,296,926

WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 194i s Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 29, 1942. H. WJHITCHCOCK WINDING MACHINE Filed NOV. 28, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m M Mwm j-Patnted sestea'ioz N E -"sures P N v I F azacsz'e wmnmc moms Harold Wood HitchcochAppcnang, a. 1., alsignor to Universal Winding Company, Bosto a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 28, 1941. Serial No. 420.830

19Claims.

The present invention relates to winding ma- ,chinesand particularly 'to an improved sizing device for arresting the winding operation when the package being wound reaches a predetermined size.

In the present specification and claims the term package is usedin a general sense to indicate any form of wound mass and the term yam" is intended to apply to all kinds of strand material whether textile orotherwise.

winding spindle and the thread-guide which dis-' tributes the yarn on the package.

Another object is to provide a device of the type indicated with micrometer adjusting means for setting it to accurately controlthe size of the package being wound. Another object is to provide a device of the type indicated which can be applied to winding machines already in use without material alteration in the structure or arrangement thereof.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification which describes one preferred embodiment of the inveninvention is described and illustrated as appliedto a usual type of winding machine having a positively-driven spindle on which'the package is wound and areciprocating thread-guide for traversing the strand longitudinally .of the spindle. It'is to be noted, however, that the present improved sizing device is adaptable for :use with other types of winding machines and consequently the invention is not limited 'as to One object of the invention is to provide an.

its mode of application. In winding machines of the present't'ype it is common to provide means for arresting the winding operation when the a package reachesa predetermined size, and such stopping means are usually actuated by the separation of the winding spindle and thread-guide as caused by the increase in diameter of the winding package. The thread-guide is usually mounted on a pivoted frame which is counterweighted to maintainthe guide in close contact with-the package during the winding and in previously-used s zin devices wedges or like means are engaged by the guide-supporting frame as the package reaches the desired siz to cause the wedging action to release deten -means which normally hold the stopping mechanism inoperative. v

Under present day practice it is desirable for many purposes, for example in wt cops tor dyeing, in handling delicate lofty materials, and in other instances, to avoid undue pressure of the guide on the surface of the packageduring wind particularly as the package approaches its full size. In other words, it is essential that tion, by way of example, as illustrated by the ac- I companying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is anend-elev'ation of a winding ma chine of conventional type showing the present invention applied thereto and illustrating'the parts oi the machine in position at the start of a winding operation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'end-elevational view of:

- the machine with certain ofthe parts shown in section-and illustrated in position at the completion of a winding operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged part-sectional side ele-.

vation of the fore part ofthe winding machine;

and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the reciprocable knock-oil element or pitman whichis adapted to release the detents which maintain the driving mechanism of'the machine operative.

with only 118 that with the usual sizing. device the force rethe thread-gui e shall bear against the package pressure and it hasbeeniound quired to actuate the wedging or similar device to release the detents for the stopping mechanisin causes considerable pressure to be exerted on the guide and by the guide against the pack,-

age. As a result the yam being wound is liable to be crushed and flattened and the package itself distorted in shape, thereby causing its ends to bulge and the coils of yarn to be displaced which prevents:free deliveryof the unwindingitf. v v 1 To overcome this difliculty and the'disadvantages' vof previously-used sizing devices the present invention provides power-operated means actuated from the driving mechanism of the machine and adapted to be moved into position to knock-oil?" or release the. detent-means whereby material in to cause actuation of the stopping mechanism of In the present specification and drawings the the machine when the package reaches the predetermined size.- By this improved construction of the knock-01f device the thread-guide is relieved oiundue pressure on the package at'the completion of the winding and consequently the machine will operate to produce better packages without danger of crushing the yarn or distorting the shape of the package. It has also been demonstrated that with the present improved sizing, device provided with micrometer adjusting means greater accuracy can be secured in sizing the packages and also greater uniformity obtained in the size and weight of a given number of packages containing the same kind of material.

Referring to the present drawings, the ma.- chine to which the present invention is shown as applied comprises a box-like frame 2 supporting bearings for a horizontal winding spindle 5 on which the package is wound and having bearings for a cam-shaft 6 arranged therebelow. The cam-shaft 6 is usually driven from the winding spindle 5 by means of a belt and pulleys, or by gearing, and a helical cam 1 is mounted fast on the shaft, see Fig. 3, for reciprocating the thread-guide l which traverses the yarn lengthwise of the spindle. Pivoted on the camshaft 6 is a traverse-frame 8 for mounting the thread-guide Hi to adapt it to reciprocate longitudinally of the winding spindle and to recede therefrom during the growth of the packager being wound on the.spindle. guide It ismounted at the end of a, traverse-bar or rod H which slides in grooves |2 extending longitudinally of the traverse-frame 8, the upper portion of the guide being supported to slide along the face of a plate l3, called the traverseframe back, which is fastened to the traverseframe. The traverse-frame back l3 mounts a thread-bail l4, see Figs. 2 and 3, having its legs held in the bores of bosses |5 projecting rearwardly from the back. The. strand of yarn 11 ,isadaptedto feed upwardly from a tension-device, shown generally in Fig. 1 and designated I6, whence it passes through a slub-catcl'ier or yam-cleaner H to lead across the bail l4 and thence through a notch in the thread-guide ID with its end secured to a suitable package core or cop-tube C mountedon the winding spindle 5. The tension-device l5 and slub-catcher are not herein shown and described in detail as they form no part of the present invention.

The winding spindle 5 may be driven from a prime-mover such as an electric motor and, as before indicated, is belted or otherwise connected to drive the cam-shaft 6. Starting and stopping means are provided for controlling the operation of the machine through a clutch or other suitable mechanism, not shown in the present drawings but which may be of the form and construction illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,116,453 to G. N. Taylor, dated, May 3, 1938. The starting and stopping mechanism is controlled and. actuated through the means of a rockable shaft or red 28 mounted in suitable bearings on the upper part of the frame 2, one of which is shown at 2| in Fig. 3, and provided at its forward end with a manually-operable lever or handle 22. Fast on the rearward end of the rod 20 is a lever 25 having two arms 26 and 21' formed with wedgelike means at their ends for shifting the clutchelement into or out of engagement with the power-driven means of the machine, this mechanism being disclosed in the prior United States patent referred to above. The lever 25 is adapted to be rocked in clockwise direction bymeans of the handle 22 to cause the arm 21 of the lever The threadof the lever 25 and anchored at its opposite end' to the machine frame 2 is employed for rocking the 'lever 25 in contraclockwise direction to release the clutch to arrest the rotation of the A brake-shoe 23 on an arm of the spindle 5. lever 22 is adapted to engage with the periphery of a brake-disk 24 on the spindle 5 to promptly check its rotation. The drive is maintained operative by locking the lever 25 in the position shown in Fig; 1 through the engagement of suitable detent-means as next described.

Fast on the forward end of the rock-shaft or rod 20 is a lever 28 formed with an arcuate arm 30 having a detent-lug 3| at its end. The edge of the detent-lug 3| is adapted to engage with a detent-shoulder 32 on a stopping lever 33 to maintain the lever 25 locked in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and the drive operative. The lever 83 is pivoted on a screw 34 fastened in the machine frame 2 and is formed with an arcuate quadrant 35 which serves for another purpose; that is, as a part of the dogging means which act against the traverse-frame 8 to resist movement of the thread-guide toward the winding spindle.

The dogging means are of usual construction comprising an arm or dog 36 pivoted to the traverse-frame 8 at 31 with its opposite end of tapered formation adapted to slide in a tapered groove 40 in the quadrant 35, shown in Fig. 3. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the dog 36 may be released by means of a finger-lever 38 pivoted onthe traverse-frame 8 and acted on by a leaf-spring 39 to normally maintain the dog frictionally engaged with the tapered groove 40 in the quadrant 35. Through this arrangement the thread-guide I0 is adapted to move outwardly away from the winding spindle without resistance from the action of the dog 35, but movement of the traverse-frame 8 and threadguide toward the winding spindle is checked or resisted by the frictional gripping action of the dog 35 on the quadrant 35.

Pivotally mounted at the outer end of the quadrant 35 is a pendant lever 4| employed for lifting the lever 33 to release the detents 3|' and 32 and cause the stopping mechanism to act to arrest the operation of the machine when the yarn breaks or its supply is exhausted. The le ver 4| is of triangular form having one arm 42 terminating in a right-angular extension or bail 43 adapted to bear-against the yarn strand as it feeds up through the slab-catcher while the opposite arm 44 projects into position for its end to be engaged by the teeth on a' wheel or ratchet-disk 45 fastened to the end of the cam-shaft 6 and rotatable therewith in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The lever 4| is so balanced that upon breakage of the yarn or exhaustion of its supply the lever 4| will swing to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, to engage the end of its arm 44 with one of the teeth on the disk 45 whereby to lift the lever 33 and thereby release the detents which maintain the stopping mechanism inoperative.

The present improved ,sizing device is also adapted to effect lifting of the lever 33 to release the detents, a positively-reciprocated knock-off element or pitman 50 being employed for this purpose. The pitman 50, shown in detail in Fig. 4, comprises a circular hub 5| from which projects an arm 52 continued in an extension 53 bent or folded at right-angles to the main portionof the arm. The extension 53 of the pitman 80 is formed on one side with a ledge or shoulder 51 and provided at its upper end with a loop 58 ehclosing a longitudinal slot 69. The hub 5| of steel block formof a rivet having a shank It projecting the pitman 50 is rotatably mounted on an eccentrio 55 formed as a part of the disk 45, previously' referred to as fastened to the end of the I cam-shaft 5. As shown in Fig. 3, the disk 45 is fastened to the end of the cam-shaft B by means of a stud- 46. The disk 45 is bored axially to receive a thimble 41 secured therein by a driving fit and a helical spring 48 held within the bore of the thimble bears againstihe head of the stud 55 to hold the disk pressing against the end of a bushing 49. in the bearing in which the cam-shaft 6 is mounted; this arrangement being of usual construction but not essential to the present invention. .The rearward face of, the disk 45 is turned down to form the eccentric hub 55, shown most clearly in Fig. 3, which fits the bore of the hub ii on the pitman 50.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, the upper, looped end of the extension 53 of the pitman 50 is connected to the traverse-frame back i9 by means of a stud 62 to adapt it to reciprocate with respect thereto. Ordinarily the thread-bail I8 is fastened in place on the traverse-,frame back I 3 by screws i8 in the bosses it, one of the screws being shown at the left in Fig. 3. In

adapting the present sizing device for attachment to winding machines already in use the right-hand screw is replaced by the stud 62, previously referred to, which not only serves to secure one leg of the bail it in place but'also provides a mounting for the upper end of the pitman 50. For this latter purpose the stud 6271s 62 and the washer 64 is a helical spring 68 which tends to hold the end of the pitman 50' hearing against the outer washer 65 while permitting sufthroush a hole in the side of the gauge" and riveted over at its end as shownin Fig. 3 to secure the block fixedly in place thereon. e

The invention having been'described as ap plied to use on a standard type of winding ma-v chine, its method of operation in connectiontherewith .is explained as follows: To prepare the machine for operation, a core or cop-tube C is placed on the spindle 5 and the end of'the yarn strand 1: is drawn up from its supply through the tension-device l6 and slub-catcher l'l, thence led across the thread-bail I4 and through the notch in the thread-guide it with its end suitably fastened to the spindle or cop-tube thereon.

.Prior to starting the winding operation the sizing gauge ill is adjusted on the quadrant by releasing the set-screw 'il whereby to set the hardened block 15 in position to be engaged by the shoulder 51 on the pitman 59 upon compleaccurate setting of the device may be made by turning'the nut it on the stud 52 toJmove the pitman "58 toward or away from the traverseframe back it. In this way a very accurate and precise adjustment of the parts "can lie-accompushed which will remain fixed so that all packages wound'on the-machine will be of thesame tube C as shown in'Fig. 1, the dog 36 being released from the quadrant 35 to allow this adjustment of the traverse-frame by pressing on the finger-lever 38. To start the machine operating the handle, is rocked in clockwise direction to ficient play to allow the pitman to rock slightly as it is reciprocated from the eccentric this form of construction also providing for ad-- justment of the upper end of the pitman toward or away from the traverse-frame 'back l3 byturning the nut 65. Preferably, the washer 85 is lined with fiber or similar material, not herein shown, to exert a slight friction against the slotted end of thepitman 50 whereby to prevent too free movement of the latter.

The above-described form of construction and mounting for the pitman 50 adapts it to-move bodily with the traverse-frame 8 as the'thread guide it recedes from the winding spindle 5. during the winding of apackage; the pitman being continuously oscillated or reciprocated by the r0- tation of the eccentric 55 on the cam-shaft 6.- Mounted for adjustment alon the quadrant 35 is a sizing gauge 10 ln-the form of a clamp adapted to be fastened in fixed position by means of a set-screw H. As shown in Fig. 3, the gauge or clamp 10 is constructed in the form of a bent sheet-metal strip having a right-angular portion overlying the top of the quadrant 35 and-a U-shaped loop therebelow hooked into the groove 40 of the quadrant with its end engaging the bot-' the yarn in helical coils on the spindle 5 to'bu'ild actuate the lever 2t and engage the clutch with the driving means, and during this operation the detent-lug 81 on the arm 30 is engaged with the shoulder 32 on the lever 33 in the manner iIl us-' trated in Fig. 1. This engagement of the'detentmeans acts to lock the lever" 22 and lever 25 against movement under thetension of the spring 28 so that the drive is maintained operative.

to reciprocatethe thread-guide ill. As the thread-guide I0 is reciprocated back and forth The winding spindle 5 will therefore he rotated to wind on the yarny while the camshaft 6 driven-therefrom will rotate the cam I along the traverse-frame back I! it will distribute up a cross-wound package in the-usual manner as well known to those versed in the art. As the yarn builds up on the cop-tube C the threadthe cam-shaft 6. i

As the winding of each package proceeds and the thread-guide I II is forced outwardly away tom thereof when the screw 1| is tightened. .Re-

ferring to Figs. 2 and 3, the forward side of the gauge" is milled or cut away to form a sharp from the winding spindle 5, the pitman. 50 is carried toward the gauge Ill until eventually its ledge or shoulder-51 is in position to underlie the edge of the block 15. Ithas been explained that the pitman 50 is oscillated or reciprocated con stantly by the rotation of the eccentric 55 on the cam-shaft 6 and-consequently as the package .reaches the size for which the gauge 10 has been 32.. Upon release of 4- I adjusted the shoulder 51 on the pitman comes into contact with the edge of the block 15- during the upward movement of the pitman to thereby lift the lever 33 and release the detents 3| and the detents the spring 28 acts to rock the clutch-lever 25 to disengage the clutch-element from the driving means and thereby arrest the operation of the machine. It

will be understood that the sizing device acts in the mariner above-described during successive operations of the machine to produce packages of uniform size, and when it is required to wind other types of packages the device may be readily to be understood that modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of its parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. In a windingmachine, means for winding a package, stopping means for arresting the winding operation, and a going member continuously actuated from the winding means and so congauge toinitiate operation of the stopping mechanism, and means operative by the growth of the package to shift the going member into position to engage the gauge when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

7. In a winding machine, means for winding a package, stopping mechanism therefor, a gauge for actuating the stopping mechanism, means for adjusting the gauge to 'control the size of the package, a going member actuated from the drive of the machine, andmeans for progressively advancing said going member toward the gauge during the progress of the winding to cause it to engage the gauge to actuate the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

8. In a winding machine, means for winding a package, stopping mechanism therefor, a gauge for actuating the stopping mechanism, a going member actuated from the drive of the machine, means for adjusting the relative position of the going member and gauge prior to the Winding operation, and means for progressively advancstructed and arranged as to be movable by and with the growth of the package to engage the stopping means and operate the latter when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

2. In a winding machine, means forwinding a package, stopping mechanism therefor, a going member positively actuated from the winding means, and means movable by the growth of the package to continuously shift said going member to cause it to engage the stopping mechanism and actuate the latter when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

3. In a winding machine, means for winding a package, stopping mechanism therefor, a continuously oscillated member separate frombut actuated by the winding means, and means for shifting said oscillating member during the progress of the winding to cause it to engage the stopping mechanism and actuate the latter when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

4. In a machine for winding yarn into packages, stopping mechanism therefor, a member for actuating the stopping mechanism, said member being separate from the winding means, means for oscillating said member during the winding, and means operated by the growth in the winding for moving said member into position to engage the stopping mechanism and actuate the latter when the package attains a predetermined diameter.

5. In a winding machine, the combination with the winding means, of stopping mechanism therefor, a member movable by and with the growth of the package being wound, means for continuously oscillating said member from the winding means, and means engageable by said member when the package reaches a predetermined size to actuate the stopping mechanism.

6. In a winding machine, means for winding a package, stopping mechanism therefor, a going member, a gauge for regulating the size of the package being wound, means operable by said ing the going member toward the gauge in proportion to the progress of the winding to cause it to engage the gauge when the package reaches a predetermined diameter. 1

9. In a winding machine, means for winding a package, stopping mechanism .therefor, a knock-ofi member separate" from the winding means but movable bodily by and with the growth ofv the package being wound, means for continuously reciprocating said knock-off member, and means engageable by said knock-off member -to initiate the operation of the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

10. In a winding machine, means for rotating a package, means for traversing yarn on the package, means to permit separation between the package rotating means and traversing means during the growth of the winding, a going member having a constant cycle of operation and movable in proportion to the separation between the package rotating means and traversing means to continuously change its locus of operation, stopping mechanism for arresting the operation of the machine, and means engageable by said going member at a predetermined locus of its operation to initiate the operation of the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined diameter.

11. In a winding machine, awinding spindle, means for traversing yarn on the spindle to wind a package, said winding spindle and traversing means being separable during the growth of the winding, stopping mechanism for arresting the operation of the machine, an oscillating member, and means to shift said oscillating member to progressively advance its locus of operation during the separation of the winding spindle and traversing means to cause it to actuate the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined size.

12. In a winding machine, a winding spindle,

,a thread-guide for traversing yarn on the spindle to wind a package, a frame for supporting said thread-guide to adapt it to move away from the winding spindle during the growth of the package, a knock-off member reciprocable on said frame, means to reciprocate said knock-off member, stopping mechanism for the machine, and means engageable by said knock-off member to actuate the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined size.

13. In a winding machine, a winding spindle, a

during the growth of the package wound thereon, a pitman reciprocably mounted on said traverse-frame, means for reciprocating said pitman during the operation of the machine, and

means engageable by said pitman at a predetermined point in its movement with the traverseframe away from the winding spindle to actuate the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined size.

14. In a winding machine, a winding spindle, means for traversing yarn on the spindle, a frame for supporting the traversing means to adapt it to separate from the winding spindle during the growth in the winding, a pitman mounted ,for reciprocation on said frame, an eccentric for reciprocating said pitman, stopping mechanism for arresting theoperation of the machine, and means engageable by said pitman at a predetermined point in its movement with the traverse-frame away from the winding spindle to actuate the stopping mechanism when th package reaches a predetermined size.

15. In a winding machine, a winding spindle,- a thread-guide for traversing yarn on the spindle to wind a package, a frame for supporting said thread-guide to adapt it to recede from the winding spindle during the growth of the package, an eccentric, a pitman on the frame reciprocated by said eccentric, a bearing for the pitman adapted for adjusting the latter relatively of the traverse-frame, stopping mechanism for arresting operation of the machine, a gauge engageable by the pitman to actuate the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined size, and means for adjusting said gauge in position to regulate the size of the package.

16. In a :winding machine, a winding spindle, means for traversing yarn on the spindle, a member movable by the growth of -the winding, a pitman supported on saidmember, means for reciprocating said pitman, means engageable by.

the pitman at a predetermined point in its movement with the member on which it is mounted .to

actuate the stopping mechanism, and micrometer means for adjusting the position of the pitman on its supporting member.- 7

17. In a winding machine, means for rotating a package, a pivoted traverse-frame, means car- 7 ried by said traverse-frame for distributing yarn on the package, a pitman mounted on the traverse-frame, means for reciprocating said pitman,

- means for supporting one end of the pitman to adapt it for adjustment toward and away from the traverse-frame, stopping mechanism for arresting operation of the machine, and means engageable by the pitman to actuate the stopping mechanism when the frame is moved to a predetermined extent by the growth of the pack- 86.

18. In a winding machine, a winding spindle,

a thread-guide for traversing yarn on the spindle to wind a package, a traverse-frame for supporting the thread-guide to move away from the winding spindle with the growth of the winding, a pitman slidably mounted on the traversei'rame, an eccentric for'reciprocating said pitman, a bearing on the traverse-frame for supporting the end of the pitman, micrometer means for adjusting said bearingto vary the position-of the pitman with respect to the traverse-frame,

stopping mechanism for arresting the operation of the machine, and means engageable by the pitman to actuate the stopping mechanism when the traverse-frame is moved to an extent to completea package of predetermined size.

19. In a winding machine, a winding spindle, a cam-shaft, a traverse-frame pivoted on said cam-shaft, a thread-guide mounted for reciprocation on the traverse-frame, a cam on the cam-shaft for reciprocating the thread-guide, a

.pitmammounted on the traverse-frame, an eccentric on the cam-shaft for reciprocating the pitman, stopping mechanism for arresting the operation of the machine, detent-means for normally maintaining said stopping mechanism inactive, and means engageable by the pitman to release the detent-means to cause actuation of the stopping mechanism when the package reaches a predetermined size.

. HAROLD WOOD HITCHCOCK. 

